Neighborfood Nursery: Kiriyat HaYovel

During corona days growing food in the community became very popular, and local initiatives popped up all over the place.

As a way to meet the growing demand for seedlings and plants, whilst spending meaningful time with her children during lockdown, Esther Tsion decided to start a plant nursery in her own backyard. The plants were part of a range of initiatives during the Corona year- activities with children and the elderly, gifts for volunteers and community garden work in shared courtyards.

Since then Esther has moved to a different apartment and life has gone back to “normal”, but the vision of a community nursery stayed with her. About two months ago the coordinator of the new social network in Kiryat Yovel (YO) approached her with an offer to help fund the water infrastructure through the Shachaf foundation, and this enabled Esther to officially launch the nursery on December 1st.

Urban Forestry Course

About thirty curious people and tree lovers have gathered in recent weeks and enjoyed interesting lectures on the importance of trees in the urban landscape, the structure of trees, how to prune them correctly and how to protect them from being cut down.

All study materials can be found on our website, but the atmosphere and the in-person meetings, the energies of the lecturers and participants have thus far created something that is difficult to convey through digital means!

Energy in the Community: Romema

Part of the implementation of the city’s plan to combat Climate Change is to offer workshops on both energy conservation in the home and through public meetings on how to install solar panels on rooftops of apartment buildings. The neighborhood that piloted this community-based program was Romema, as guided by our Sustainability coordinator in the community center, Batel Spivack. Women came to learn what easy and simple changes they could make in their apartments that would significantly reduce their electric bill. Multiple residents came to learn the process of installing PV panels on shared rooftops and the incentives that are being offered. This was specifically interesting in a Haredi population where many residents choose to generate their own electricity for use on shabbat (off-grid) using polluting generators, and offering a cleaner alternative was very eye-opening. We hope to follow the residents on their path to a brighter cleaner future… If you would like this program to come to your community center, send us an email.

My name is Jesse Muller. I enjoy reading, writing, and sketching. I chose to intern with the JGF because I believe the environment is one of the most important issues but is largely overlooked in modern-day society. I want to work with like-minded individuals to help bring awareness and implement change. I am writing a series of articles highlighting different people, places, and ideas around Israel focused on environmental problems and solutions. Currently, I’m attending Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and plan on attending college in New York, majoring in Journalism and Political Science. I’m interested in using what I learn this year to help contribute to a healthier and sustainable environment.

Esther Tjon A Ton

Soon after she made Aliyah from Holland in 1997 Esther joined the team at the Society for the Protection of Nature, working with Naomi on the promotion of compost and recycling in the city and multiple campaigns for the preservation of Urban Nature.

After receiving a scholarship to study at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in 2000, she returned to Jerusalem and has since worked as an environmental educator and facilitator of community projects with people of all ages, and from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. 

Her work in the Bustania community garden - creating a platform for environmental education, social events and community gardening - was recognized and sponsored by the Environmental Education Department of the Jerusalem Municipality and the Yuvalim Community Council for a few years.

In 2019 she took part in the accelerator for environmental and social initiatives, in an effort to promote a sustainable inclusive vocational center in the Bustania valley.

At the presentation ceremony she met Naomi again, and soon after she joined the Jerusalem Green Fund team.

At present she is working on various projects related to urban agriculture and community initiatives, such as the sustainability forum and neighborhood food-saving pilot in Kiryat Hayovel - both of which she co-founded and oversees.
 

Esther is a staff member as well as a stakeholder. She firmly believes in the structure of our organization and in teaching by example. Her most recent initiative is the “Neighborfood nursery” in her own backyard (see article above)!